Efforts on to strengthen customary laws: Arunachal CM Pema Khandu

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday informed that efforts are on to strengthen customary laws in the state by amending the Assam Frontier (Administration of Justice) Regulation (Amendment) bill. Responding to observations made by various members in the assembly while participating in the discussion on the bill, Khandu said that the Bill is an attempt to strengthen the state customary laws and justice delivery system.

The bill which was tabled in the house on March 7 by Khandu, is aimed at making provisions for framing guidelines by the government for election, selection, appointment, powers, functions and meetings of the head gaon bura (chief village headman), head gaon buri, gaon buras and buris.

"Amendments are made in the pre-independence laws and through this bill we are trying to protect indigenous customary laws in the state," the chief minister said. Responding to BJP member Nyamar Karbak's suggestion to change the nomenclature of gaon bura with local name, Khandu assured to discuss the matter in a larger platform.

He also assured the house that for further strengthening of the bill at a later stage, Bar council and state law and justice department would be discussed.

The house passed the bill by voice votes.

The assembly also passed the Arunachal Pradesh Protection of Drinking Water Catchment Areas Bill, which was tabled on Tuesday by Public Health Engineering and Water Supply Minister Wangki Lowang.

Lowang while responding to the suggestions of the members informed that water level in the state has depleted due to various environmental factors and the need of the hour is to evolve a far-sighted decision so that water could be conserved for the future generation.

He informed that as per the Bill, management and protection of catchment areas would be taken care of by the people with support from respective district administrations.

According to the statement of the Bill, the proposed act is intended to protect the catchment areas of drinking water sources in the state and also to make water catchment more resilient to climate change and vulnerable risk reduction through its proposed protection activities. It is also aimed at reversing the trend towards better water management by involving people for efficient use of water, harvesting rainwater and scaling up artificial recharge, thereby creating an enabling environment that nurtures nature for a sustainable future. The members also passed the Arunachal Pradesh Goods Tax (Amendment) Bill, to augment revenue collection for the state exchequer, which was tabled in the assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Tuesday.

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